Christa Pike latest: Tennessee prisons chief resigns after failed execution
Christa Pike's attorneys speak after botched execution
Attorney's for Christa Pike, the death row inmate who survived the state of Tennessee's first attempt to execute a woman in more than 200 years, spoke to reporters to provide an update on her health and discuss what possible outcomes remain for their client.
The man who oversees Tennessee’s prison system will step down after Christa Pike’s failed execution, the state’s governor said Saturday.
Frank Strada, commissioner of the Department of Corrections, will resign this month, Gov. Bill Lee announced.
Why is Frank Strada resigning?
What they're saying:
In a statement to The Associated Press, Strada said his resignation is "in the best interest of Tennesseans" while an independent investigation determines what happened Wednesday when Pike lived through two doses of the lethal drug pentobarbital.
Christa Pike (Photo: TN Department of Correction)
"I believe this review is entirely appropriate and necessary, and I look forward to doing everything I can to help determine exactly what occurred," Strada said.
RELATED: Arizona's history of botched executions resurfaces after Tennessee lethal injection fails
Strada took over the Correction Department in January 2023 after serving as deputy director of the Arizona Department of Corrections. He announced in late 2024 that Tennessee was changing its lethal injection protocol and would only use pentobarbital.
Who is Christa Pike?
The backstory:
Pike was 18 years old when she and her boyfriend tortured and killed a classmate, Colleen Slemmer, in a jealous rage in 1995. Before her failed execution Wednesday, she was set to be the first woman executed in Tennessee in 200 years.
A federal appeals court briefly paused the execution Wednesday and said more time was needed to consider her lawyers’ last-ditch appeals, but the Supreme Court allowed the execution to proceed after a nine-hour delay.
The state’s Republican governor declined to intervene and allow Pike to serve a life sentence.
Pike’s ‘deeply disturbing’ failed execution
What we know:
After the state administered two doses of pentobarbital, witnesses said 50-year-old Pike was still alive and snoring.
Pike was taken to a hospital, where she was on a ventilator and unconscious in the following hours, according to her attorneys.
Pike’s attorneys said they believe problems with the IV lines caused the pentobarbital to flow into her body instead of her bloodstream.
"Apparently at no point did any member of the execution team realize that the IV lines were not correctly placed or that the veins had blown and that the pentobarbital was, in whole or in part, entering Ms. Pike’s body," they wrote in court documents.
Big picture view:
The stunning failure has left both sides of the death penalty debate demanding answers. Lee called it "deeply disturbing" and called for an independent investigation.
What’s next for Christa Pike?
What's next:
As of Friday, Pike was in critical condition and hospital staff were still working to save Pike’s life.
What we don't know:
It’s unclear whether the state will attempt to execute her again. Tennessee’s execution protocol doesn’t spell out what happens if the person is alive after a second dose of lethal drugs.
The Source: This article includes information from The Associated Press and previous FOX Local reporting.